


The End of All Things

by late_night



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Engagement, Established Relationship, Fake Character Death, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Reunions, Separations, Timeline What Timeline, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-12 11:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13546203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/late_night/pseuds/late_night
Summary: Ignis couldn't be happy forever. Of course when the balance tipped back down to the "back luck" he could never imagine loosing his entire home and left stranded in Lucis.He couldn't imagine loosing Prompto.(Aka the Promnis Prompto stayed in Insomnia when it fell AU)





	1. Requiem

**Author's Note:**

> I think that this is the longest thing I've written to date ngl. I sort of edited it? But not really
> 
> You can talk to me @ham-for-ham-sandwich on tumblr and I actively encourage you to

“Conjecture gets us nowhere,” Ignis snapped in the car. “We’re searching for truth.”

“Don’t pretend your not worried either,” Noctis had snapped in return, glaring at Ignis from the back seat. 

The car fell completely silent after that, no one dared say anything more about Insomnia or the Empire’s betrayal. Ignis’ fingers twitched to grab his phone and pray that Prompto picked up. He didn’t though, as if he ignoring the possibility of Prompto not picking up changed the reality of what had occurred. 

Changed that Prompto, along with most of Insomnia, was gone.  _ We don’t know that for sure,  _ a voice in his head thought vehemently. Except it was more than likely the truth they were searching for was the reality none of them were ready to face. 

He spared a glance at the silent yet fuming Gladio who wore his anger on his face in the backseat. He didn’t say anything as he was reminded that Gladio’s father and sister had been left in Insomnia as well as Noctis’ father and his betrothed. The itch to find his phone returned at the thought of Prompto.

To the shock of everyone, they’d started dating at the tail end of Prompto and Noctis’ senior year of high school and many nights spent chatting and bonding in Noctis’ apartment after the young prince had fallen asleep. In hindsight, the following two years after they started going out had been the best of Ignis’ life, Prompto was the eternal ball of sunshine he didn’t know he was missing and something bordering on codependency soon developed afterwards. The late night conversations about anything and everything from music to photography to history. Anything that could be used to hold a deep conversation and Ignis found Prompto to be one of the most bright, engaging minds he’d ever met. 

It was a shame that he hid most of it away under blinding smiles and meaningless, purposefully misleading comments. In the end, it’d been easy to ask Prompto for his hand in marriage. He’d kept it simple, a proposal in the park while watching the sunset while Prompto took pictures of the scenery and anything else that caught his eye.

It was lovely. The happiest he could ever recall being. They’d planned to have a simple ceremony once Ignis returned from Altissia, with close family and friends. Far away from the loud fanfare of Noctis’ wedding and the never ending serpent of politics of the Citadel.

It was now apparent that it wasn’t going to happen. Because Insomnia was gone and Prompto was more than likely dead and- 

_ Don’t get ahead of yourself.  _ He internally scolded himself, wincing at the thought of Prompto, his Prompto, shot by some MT or buried under a mess of a rubbled building.  _ We don’t know anything for sure. _

Except every newspaper he had managed to get a hold of that morning had the same headline story. What would be the point of tricking every newspaper, broadcast and TV show out there into claiming that the capital city of Lucis had fallen?

His hands tightened around the steering wheel as he took the turn to the main road away from Hammerhead a little faster than he would have normally.

“Are those robots?” Gladio asked from the back seat as they approached the outer gate of Insomnia. 

“Somewhat,” Ignis responded. “They’re mass produced weaponry of war made by the Empire as part of the Magiteck program.” 

Gladio let out a grunt in response and didn’t add any more to Ignis’ input. 

Upon closer inspection of Insomnia’s gates he frowned. “They’ve set up an inspection point.” He commented mildly. 

“We’ll have to find another way around then,” Gladio suggested, eyeing a dirt covered path off the side of the road. 

Ignis turned the Regalia onto a dusty side road leading to a cliff overlooking Insomnia. Hopefully the way was clear enough for them to see what was going on. These hopes were soon dashed upon first encountering a small group of MTs. Before anyone could get a word in, Noctis warp striked the nearest one with a shout of anger. 

Ignis frowned as he summoned his daggers and followed Noctis towards the hill, Gladio off to his right. These MTs were not the most formidable of opponents however Ignis worried that in letting their anger over the situation getting the best of them they’d cause their own downfall. 

Of course this was easier to thing in theory before moving to actually face their opponents. It was much harder to put into practice as the longer they fought, the angerier Ignis got. He knew that Gladio and Noctis shared this sentiments. 

It was more challenging to keep his cool that he would ever admit. He hid it better than Gladio or Noctis did but it was still there, boiling underneath his skin. Instead of violent outbursts towards MTs, he channelled his anger into precise hits designed to take down his enemies in minimal amounts of time. Truthfully, he wanted to outburst at it, wanted to make the Empire pay for all that it had taken. 

The hard part was seeing all the MTs walking around like they owned the place. As if they belonged. When all Ignis could see was everything falling apart around them and with each strike all he could hear in his head was his anger,  _ you killed Prompto.  _

It was easy, in the end, to let it burst towards one MT, a bit a head of the others, red pointer laser directly at Noct. Ignis saw red as he lunged towards the MT. There was no way that these MTs were going to take another person from him. 

The MT didn’t stand a chance against Ignis’ onslaught. Long after it was dead Ignis continued to jab his knife into it’s corpse.  _ You killed Prompto.  _

Perhaps it was the stress of everything going on around him but as soon as it was dead, the world around Ignis seemed to fizzle away as he replayed the night before he left over and over in his head. 

_ “Do you have to go?” Prompto moaned out as Ignis continued to rub gentle circles on his back. Ignis would be leaving as soon as the sun was up the next morning.   _

_ “Unfortunately,” Ignis chuckled, smiling and he pressed a kiss onto the back of Prompto’s neck. Prompto stretched out, feeling his bones crack pleasantly. “I’ll be back before you know it.” _

_ Prompto continued to pout, rolling onto his back to look Ignis in the eye. “Promise?” he asked quietly.  _

_ Ignis smiled. “Of course, darling.”  _

_ “Wish I could come with you guys.” _

_ Ignis frowned as he rested his chin on Prompto’s head and wrapped his arms around him. “It’s dangerous outside the Wall.” He pointed out. “And you have classes.”  _

_ Prompto frowned at the thought of his classes as Insomnia University. Ignis knew he was struggling more than he let on, but he was immensely proud of making it as far as he had so far. “I know.” Prompto burrowed his nose into Ignis neck and shifted closer. “Still gonna miss you.” _

_ “And I, you,” Ignis kissed his head.  _

_ “We still have tonight,” Prompto grinned before pulling Ignis into a deeper kiss, causing Ignis to let out a moan. _

_ “I love you,” Ignis whispered to him. _

_ “I love you too.” _

_ “IGNIS!” _

Ignis’ eyes shot open at the shout that echoed in his ears. He was still breathing hard as the rain continued to pour around them. Noctis was standing over him, his hand on Ignis’ shoulder. A bit behind him, Gladio was finishing off the last of the MTs that had swarmed the area. 

The MT that Ignis had been attacking was in multiple pieces sewn across the grass. He, himself was on the ground, dagger ready for another strike. 

“You ok?” Noctis muttered quietly as Gladio’s weapon disappeared into blue crystals behind him.

“Quite alright,” he said, pulling himself up off the ground. “Momentary lapse in judgement, won’t happen again.” With that he didn’t wait for either of them to say anything as he continued up the hill towards the cliff overlooking Insomnia. It’d been years since anyone he knew of had been up there and once upon a time, the view had been beautiful. Or so he was told.

Upon getting to the top he realized that what he was told was correct. Had the city before them not been in ruin with smoke still whisking away from it, the view would have been marvelous. A view that he would have loved to bring Prompto to see, had he known about such a place that was so close to Insomnia. He would have loved to see Prompto here, excitedly bouncing about with his camera.

_ Prompto. _

It hurt to think of Prompto in Insomnia. Of all the horrid and painful ways he could have met his demise, the thought that he was already gone and _ there was nothing Ignis could do about it. _

There was no cure, no magic balm he could place on a broken heart. Not to help him with the loss of his fiance and his uncle, not with Gladio and his family and not with Noctis and his father. Only time could cure that.

It was one of the few times in Ignis’ life that he felt truly out of his depths. He always knew what to do, what course of action was the most advisable, how to make the best of the worst of situations. In that moment though, Ignis had never felt less like the Advisor to the monarch of Lucis. What Ignis truly felt like was what he was.

A scared 22 year old who wasn’t quite ready for everything that happened, for everything that had yet to occur. 

The newscaster announcing the death of Noctis and Lunafreya from Gladio’s phone snapped him out of his thoughts as he watched his home burn to the ground. 

“Turn it off,” he snapped to Gladio who looked about ready to crush the phone in his hands.

“Don’t bother,” Noctis shouted from the edge of the cliff. 

He wasn’t sure if Cor ended up calling Noctis or if Noctis had dialled Cor in a fit of desperation to get anyone to answer, but Ignis was suddenly aware of Noctis quizzing Cor over the phone. 

Noctis was soon hanging up the phone and demanding they follow Cor to Hammerhead in search of answers.

Ignis could do nothing but nod and go as Noct asked, his heart still feeling numb.

* * *

 

By the time Ignis got back to the caravan at the Hunter HQ, the sun was starting to set over the Leiden landscape causing a cascade of reds and oranges to mix with the blues of the sky. It was a stunning sight, Ignis could admit. One that Prompto would probably love to photograph. The beauty of the night mixing with the raw nature of the desert’s land. For all it’s annoyances, Ignis felt that his lover would adore the sheer amount of opportunities to photograph the wilderness. 

The sunset just seemed to drive home all that Ignis had lost. 

Ignis had gotten through the last couple of days on willpower alone it felt like. Everything was beginning to set in just now as they’d rushed through the last couple days since Insomnia’s fall. From going to Hammerhead to the royal tombs through now it seemed like the three had been on the move since the Empire’s betrayal. 

As a result, Ignis was just now beginning to truly process everything that happened and everything that was still to come. As soon as they’d gotten out of the second tomb and into Hunter HQ, Ignis had left as under the guise of restocking. Noctis had immediately crawled into bed and Gladio stayed to watch over him. That had been mid afternoon. Already Ignis was out longer than he had intended to be.

His beloved was dead. His uncle was dead. The King he’d come to know over his life as a parental figure was dead. The harshness of the world had been shown to Ignis over the past couple days in a way that it’d never shown him before. Ignis wasn’t sure what to do with it. He clung to a single goal: help Noctis gain the Royal Arms and take their revenge against the Empire for their fallen homeland. It was all they could do. 

With that thought, that singular goal, Ignis pushed himself back towards the caravan from the outskirts of the post. 

On his walk back through the dirt on the road he stopped into the building that was the actual HQ in Leide for Hunters. He figured if nothing else, he could gain some information on what was happening out there, especially in Insomnia. Perhaps some reports had gotten to the Hunters, although Ignis doubted it. 

Sure enough, the Hunters didn’t know anything that wasn’t already out. Nothing more than the knowledge that what few refugees there were from Insomnia were already headed for Lestallum. The amount wasn’t a high number, especially when compared to the number of people who had been in Insomnia when it fell. There weren’t any statistic yet, but Ignis had to guess that it was a number below 10% that actually escaped. More than likely those on the outskirts of the Crown City would be lucky enough to escape the Empire’s slaughter. 

Frowning at this scarce information given by the Hunters, Ignis made ready to take his leave. 

“The lens is just fucked,” a voice to high right said. “I mean sure I could get it fixed but I don’t have that kind of cash.” Ignis looked over to see a hunter frowning at a camera in his hands. Another hunter was with him, pretending to be invested in what his partner was saying. “I’ll probably just get rid of it and get a new one.”

Ignis should have kept walking. Key words: should have. But as he looked at the camera this stranger’s hands he couldn’t help himself. 

“How much?” he asked abruptly, startling himself. He shouldn’t, they were strapped for cash as it was. 

The hunter let out a hum in response. “1000 gil? Sound fair? It’s pretty old.”

_ Old indeed,  _ Ignis agreed. It was a white beat up camera with the lens sliced up. The buttons were worn and there were scratches on the back. Well used and well worn.

Prompto would have loved it. He’d have loved it’s age and he’d have loved figuring out how to fix it up and make it his own. For all Ignis always tried to buy the the latest and nicest cameras and equipment for him, Prompto always gravitated towards his old, well loved model. He’d fixed it up more times that he could count since Ignis met him and Ignis couldn’t deny that he looked more thrilled when it started working again after fixing it than he did by any new equipment. 

Prompto had eventually caved to a brand new camera once he’d started taking more advanced photography classes at his college, but Ignis had caught him on many occasions using the old camera.

With these thoughts in mind, he tossed the gil the hunter asked for on the table without a second thought. The hunter nimbly handed over the camera and quickly counted the gil before nodding. 

Ignis briskly strut back to the caravan, turning the camera around in his hands, looking it over with a more scrutinizing gaze. Everything about it reminded him of Prompto. It wasn’t Prompto’s camera, but it had an aura about it that reminded him heavily of his lost lover. 

For that reason, Ignis wasn’t sorry about his purchase in the slightest.

* * *

 

Ignis quietly stepped into the caravan, letting the door shut and lock behind him. It was as he left it, Noctis sleeping away in bed and their luggage still sitting where it was tossed when they had gotten in. Gladio was sitting at the table, turning the phone in his hands. He seemed much lighter than when Ignis had left, his shoulders were less tense and his face didn’t have the deep anger and anguish on it as it had when he went for his stroll.

Ignis could guess why. He knew how much Iris meant to his friend and how agonizing the last days had been being left in the dark. 

“Did you get a hold of Iris?” he asked. 

“Yea,” Gladio grunted out. He seemed lighter, but had a hidden layer of nervousness about him. “She got to Lestallum with the other refugees.” He hesitated, biting his cheek, a gesture that Ignis didn’t miss. Gladio was definitely hiding something.

“That’s good to hear,” he said. “Anything else to share?”

“What makes you think that?” Gladio said. 

“You’re hesitating,” Ignis snapped, voice sharp. “Please do not waste my time attempting to hide something from me.” His gaze rounded on Gladio. “I will find out.”

Gladio sighed in agreement and put his gaze on the engagement ring on Ignis’ finger and the camera that was still in his hands. “Prompto was with Iris when Insomnia fell.” Ignis brought in a sharp breath and stared at Gladio. “He got out, he’s with Iris in Lestallum.”

Ignis fell silent and stared at Gladio for a moment, his mind not processing what had just been said.

“Does Noct know?” 

“Noct- Ignis!” Gladio said, scratching the side of his head. “Think about yourself for a moment!” He paused, giving Ignis a moment before sighing and pulling his frozen friend into the chair next to him. 

Ignis took a second as he attempted to process this information. If believed, Prompto was alive and well in Lestallum with Iris.  _ His _ Prompto. He looked at the camera in his hands not quite believing it. Gladio would have no reason to lie.

“To answer your question, no. Noct doesn't know yet,” Gladio informed him. “Didn’t want to wake him up.”

“Indeed, he’s had a long day.”  _ and longer ones ahead.  _ “We can tell him when he wakes up.” 

“And you?” Gladio asked softly, giving him a knowing look.

“What about me?” Ignis snapped, giving him a sharper look in response. His voice betrayed him, cracking ever so slightly. Had Gladio been anyone else, he probably would have missed it. He didn’t say anything, just waited for Ignis to add his own thoughts. “I’m relieved.” He finally settled on, eyes not leaving the camera. “I didn’t think he’d-” he stopped short, unsure how to properly articulate his thoughts. I’d been a while since he’d not been able to sort out his own feelings, usually helping Gladio and Noctis with theirs. 

“We had no way of knowing,” Gladio said. “Chances are he had no way to contact us. Now you’ve spent time grieving, attempting to move past it, except he’s alive and it doesn't feel real.” 

“How articulate of you,” he said, looking at his friend with something like shock in his eyes. 

“I read,” Gladio shrugged. It took all of Ignis’ training as Advisor to the Crown to not roll his eyes at his lifelong friend. 

It was silent for a moment. “Can.. Can I talk to him?” Ignis whispered. 

“He’s probably getting to sleep by now Iggy,” Gladio frowned at him. “I’ll call Iris in the morning once we’re on the road.”

Ignis nodded in agreement. They stayed silent for a while before Ignis crawled into bed, asleep before his head hit the pillow. 

He dreamed about Prompto in a white suit and a beaming smile, of the sunflower petals that he loved blending beautifully into his hair as they kissed at the altar.

* * *

 

He didn’t get to talk to Prompto the next day as planned on the account of having to fight through an Empire blockade.

By the time they stopped the next day it was late and neither Gladio nor Ignis wanted to bother Iris and Prompto if they were already in bed. So it waited another day. They also realized that they had yet to tell Noctis that his best friend was indeed still alive. Making that a priority Ignis made Noctis is favorite meal, despite its lack of veggies, and Gladio prodded him to stay awake. 

Gladio treated it like ripping off a band-aid. No need to hesitate right? This was supposedly good news, considering all that had gone wrong in the past couple weeks. 

Noctis was much less restrained than Ignis had been, immediately demanding information.

“Can I talk to him,” he asked. “I want to talk to him.” 

“In the morning Princess,” Gladio grunted. “He’s probably asleep by now.” 

Noctis had grumbled at that but agreed. “Fine but first thing tomorrow morning I wanna talk to him.” 

So the next morning as promised, Gladio got his phone out. It was about ten in the morning, just late enough that both Prompto and Iris would most likely be awake. 

He called Iris, and got a semi sleepy “hello?” on the third ring. 

“Morning Moogle,” Gladio greeted his sister affectionately. She responded with her own morning greeting and he heard some shifting through the phone. “Do you mind putting Prompto on the phone?”  

There was a sound of agreement before some more shuffling came through. Ignis could faintly hear Iris nudging Prompto awake before a greeting followed through the phone. “G’d morning,” sleep still dripped through Prompto’s voice, the way his lover was always slightly unaware after he first woke up.

But it was a beautiful thing to hear. His voice, filled with emotion and tone and  _ life.  _ He was ok, talking in the phone completely alive. 

“Hey Prom,” Noctis offered when no way said anything, his voice cracked with tears.

“Noct,” Prom said softly. Ignis could practically hear the smile in his voice. “Glad to hear you’re among the living still.”

“Right back at you,” Noct was openly crying now. Ignis himself was choking up, forcing himself not to cry. 

“You guys had me worried,” Prompto admitted. “Iggy? He ok too?” 

“I’m fine darling,” Ignis immediately assured him. “Relieved to hear your voice.” 

“Yeah,” Prompto agreed. “Yeah.”

“How are you, love?” Ignis inquired.

“I’m fine,” Prompto said. “I’ve been better,” he revised after a beat. 

“Yes,” Ignis agreed. “I imagine we’ve all been so.” 

Noctis stayed silent for a moment before humming in agreement. “Me and Gladio are gonna go get some breakfast,” he announced. “We’ll see you soon enough, Prom.”

With that Noctis grabbed Gladio’s arm and half dragged him out the door. Ignis appreciated the privacy. 

“Igs,” Prompto practically whispered into the phone. “Gods I was so worried.”

“I thought you were dead,” Ignis wept. “I mourned you.”

“I’m here Iggy,” Prompto assured. “I’m ok.”

“I know,” Ignis confirmed. 

“Are you guys headed to Lestallum now?” Prompto coaxed.

“We’re going to be headed out soon, should be there by the end of the week barring any delays.” Prompto hummed in relief. He then proceeded to fill the time with idle chatter and Ignis sat in listened, more than happy to let his fiancee talk. The reassurance of his voice was enough for Ignis to stand for the idle, meaningless chit chat. 

“Anyway, Noct and Gladio have to be headed back soon, right?” Prompto finally finished. “So I guess I’ll let you go.”

_ Don’t go.  _ “Quite,” Ignis agreed. “We should be on the road soon.”

“I love you,” Prompto’s voice was sweet and whistful. “I’ll see you soon.”

“As soon as I can be,” a beat. “I love you.”

Ignis forced himself to hit the red hand up button on the touch screen before tossing the phone aside on the bed. The tears on his face had dried and he let out a beaming smile in the privacy of the room. The sun was climbing over Duscae’s landscape.

He got up and started getting their small amounts of items strewn across the room together. 

Prompto was waiting for him.


	2. Reassess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Prompto makes a daring escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter.
> 
> Sorry this took so long I couldn't come up with a chapter name before I just gave up completely and slapped whatever on there and posted it.
> 
> Come chat on Tumblr @ham-for-ham-sandwich

The Citadel was on fire.

The thought didn’t seem to process as Prompto saw it go down on the screen of his TV. Iris had let out a wail from somewhere to his left, the hot chocolate she’d been carefully sipping on now a mess on the expensive carpet flooring of the Amicitia’s living room. 

He heard sounds of gunfire and explosions in the distance and his hands shook as he realized that they were real and outside not just images on a TV. He gained the strength to look over to Iris who was looking at her phone frantically, whether it was to try and get a hold of her father or to confirm what was happening at the Citadel he no longer knew. One of the windows was shot out about six feet from him and it promptly shoved him out of his dissociative daze of  _ this can’t be happening. _

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a red laser touch the white carpet. Eyes wide he shot up from the couch and pulled Iris by the shirt behind the couch as another shot sounded in his ears. Iris squeaked as she landed on top of Prompto, his back hitting the ground with a thud. Prompto swallowed hard and Iris took a shaky breath as they untangled and sat with their back to the couch. The power shot out somewhere along the way and Prompto was ready to say he was sufficiently terrified.

“Now what?” Iris asked, her arms around her knees. 

“I- I’m not sure yet,” Prompto gets out, trying and failing not to choke on his words. Prompto feels for her, he really does. Her life was literally falling apart around her and the only family member left in the city is right in the thick of it, the other running around who knows where in the wilderness with the Prince and his fiancee.

Fuck, Ignis. He doesn't know if he’s relieved that he’s currently out of Insomnia or not. Well no, Prompto was thanking every god, goddess and divine being out there that Ignis was currently out of Insomnia. That didn’t stop Prompto from wanting his steady presence at that exact moment and his gentle tone of voice telling him it’d be ok before coming up with a plan. 

In that moment he felt footsteps approaching _ and fuck they were in the house. _

He felt Iris tense up more beside him. 

“We need to run,” he whispered to her. If he remembered the layout of the house correctly, there was back door in the basement he’d used once to sneak back in with Gladio after a night out. The basement that had a door connecting to the kitchen. 

So he had something resembling a plan. They could do this. 

“Can we make it?” Iris whispered back, still shaking. 

“I don’t know,” Prompto whimpered. “But it looks like our other option is dying here.”  The footsteps grew louder and closer, the mechanics of the Empire’s robotic foot soldiers were within hearing range. Now or never. Grabbing by Iris by the wrist he shot up and sprinted towards the kitchen. Behind him there were screeches of MTs. He didn’t dare turn his head to look at them, feeling like he just might freeze on spot if he did. 

Once they got to the kitchen Iris turned and grabbed the handle of the wooden door and slid it shut just as a MT swung with it’s axe, implanting the shiny metal object in the door. 

Prompto didn’t know which one of them let out a shrek at that but he had the distinct feeling it wasn’t him.

“Basement,” he ordered. As the door continued to get shredded to pieces by the approaching MTs. They were truly unsettling to look at, faces an unhuman green color and eyes a glowing daemonic red that made him shiver in fear. They almost looked human but the vacant unfeeling faces told him otherwise. Prompto looked about the kitchen as one stepped through the doorway and saw a set of kitchen knives, neatly on the wall. 

He wasn’t nearly as proficient with knives as Ignis was, actually if their respective abilities were compared, Prompto was sure that his wouldn’t even register as beginner or novice to Ignis. Then again, Ignis was a highly trained member of the Crownsguard and Prompto had taken exactly one half-credit self defense class during his last semester of college. At this exact moment of time however, it’d have to do. Maybe if he could distract them for a moment or two, Iris would be able to get away. 

He grabbed the black hilt of the butcher’s knife he looked to make a move towards the MT. He vaguely remembered Ignis calling the knife a Santoku at one point when they’d started mini cooking lessons. He internally snorted at the idea of telling him he remembered the name of the type of knife right before he attacked an enemy with it. He’d have to bring it up to him next time he saw them.  _ If I ever see him again. _

With a gulp he forced his legs to move faster than they ever had before and managed to get the knife lodged into the axeman’s throat. It let out a horrid screeching sound as it spluttered to the ground and disappeared into a pile of daemon goop. 

Retrieving the knife from where it’d fallen he barely managed to half roll, half stumble out of the way of a swinging sword on another MT as another MT embedded it’s axe exactly a half a foot from his head. Prompto screamed and wiggled away, a sword striking him in the shoulder as he did. 

“Astrals that fuckin’ hurt,” he growled as he clutched his shoulder, his grip still tight around the knife before he ended up on the floor again. The MT with the sword coming down fast. As a last ditch effort he lurched his upper body off the floor, getting the knife stuck in the MT’s glowing red disc on its chest. It yowled and moved away to sink into the floor and became a mass of black blood before Prompto could grab the knife in its chest. He noticed the Axeman moving towards him, axe at the ready. Prompto tried to summon the strength to move but found it harder as the injury in his shoulder set in and the adrenaline began to wear off.  _ Two good hits and some stumbling around.  _ Prompto mused to himself.  _ Guess my luck had to run out somewhere, didn’t do half bad. _ He closed his eyes and let his head fall back, waiting for the end.  _ Ignis, I love you. _

He heard a swing and the sound of metal cutting through air. He did not, however, feel the defining pain of something being lodged into his body. He hesitantly opened one eye to see the Axeman dying on the tile floor of the kitchen. He blinked and slowly moved his head to see Iris standing there, holding an axe that was in the wall with two hands, breath labored as she shifted her eyes to him. 

“You didn’t say you were staying and fighting!” Iris exclaimed. “I would of helped.” She then proceeded to rifle through various drawers and cabinets hoping to find something to help with the blond’s bleeding shoulder. She sighed in relief when she found two potions before scurrying over to Prompto, letting her knees fall to the floor as she snapped the bottle over his shoulder. It shattered with dazzling blue-green lights as he felt the flesh knit itself up.  _ So that’s what a potion feels like.  _ He frowned at the unfamiliar feeling before slowly pulling himself off the ground. Iris stowed the potion away in a pocket.

Then the reality of the situation seemed to get at them both as they stared at each other and both just laughed. Soon the laughs turned to hysterical cackling as they sat on the floor of the Amicitia manor after barely escaping death all because Iris not only didn’t listen to him but, turned back and cut an Axeman’s head off with an axe that was almost as big as her. 

Insomnia was in tatters around them but somehow, they’d managed with the bare minimum of experience between them, to fight a small group of the Empire’s supposed best. 

Prompto eventually calmed down enough and helped Iris up off the floor as she too calmed her laughing sobs.

“What now?” she asked, eyes filled with determination that hadn’t been there before. They heard a door slam from somewhere in the house, accompanied by multiple footsteps. 

“We deal with that,” Prompto answered her and nodded.

“We can do this,” she said, mostly to herself. “We can do this.”

Prompto swallowed and frowned before grabbing the knife from where it had gotten haphazardly tossed at one point and slowly moved to hide from direct sight to the side of the door. Iris pulled the axe from the wall and moved to the otherside of Prompto, ready to strike. 

_ Click, click, click. _

A footstep stopped at the edge of the doorway and Iris swung the axe with purpose and the sound of a blunt object met the edge of the axe. 

“Lady Iris!” 

“Oh Gods, I’m so sorry!” Iris squeaked out once she realized that it wasn’t an MT she was swinging at but Dustin, a Crownsguard.

Prompto peaked out from his hiding stop to find Dustin on the ground and Monica looking over Iris for injuries. A little behind them stood the Amicita’s butler, Jared and his grandson Talcott. 

“Thank the Astrals your alright,” Jared smiled that grandfatherly smile and in that moment, Iris broke rushing towards him and hugging him tightly. 

“It was so scary!” she sobbed. 

“I know sweety,” Jared soothed, “It’ll be ok.”

“I haven’t heard from anyone,” she continued. 

Jared didn’t respond, just continued to gently rub her back and make gentle cooing sounds. 

Eventually Monica spoke up, “We should make our way out of the city.” Soon enough the group was ushered out to the streets and down multiple back allies to avoid being seen. Monica took up the lead with Iris and Talcott close behind, Jared hovering near his grandson.

This left Prompto towards the back with Dustin. He stayed mostly silent as they moved quickly, the knife he’d kept a hold of tightly held close to him. 

As they reached the edge, Prompto briefly spared a look back and froze. Everything was in ruins. The Empire had already moved in, the smoke hadn’t even cleared out from wreckage and already flags were being flown and MTs were walking around like they owned the place. With shame in his heart, he realized this was the first point he’d spared even a miniscule thought towards his parents who were probably in the ruined city still. 

The thought didn’t hurt as much as he thought it would. He felt shame about that too. 

How could this happen? Prompto knew how, greed and power that grew in the hearts of fools who thought they could take and take and take and never face consequences of their actions. 

Perhaps if Prompto was a more spiteful, more violent human being, he’d be angry at the Empire. He’d wish vengeance on each and every single person who had a part in the destruction of his home.

But looking and the debris of what was once Insomnia, he felt no anger, no growing burning need for vengeance. He just felt the heavy raindrops of sadness that blanketed the entire city. 

“Mr. Argentum,” Dustin turned to him. “We need to keep moving. The sooner we reach Lestallum, the safer we will be.”

He slowly nodded, “Lestallum?”

“In the Cleigne region,” Dustin explained, “As per Lord Amicitia’s arrangements." Prompto nodded as it all fell into place. Of course Iris and Gladio’s father would arrange to the best of his abilities to get his children to safety. Prompto would bet money that King Regis did the same with Noctis. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time to get out with Iris.

Prompto took a breath and continued to follow Dustin out of direct enemy territory.

Had he been paying attention, perhaps he may have remembered the camera he’d tossed on the couch when he’d gotten to the Amictia’s that morning.

* * *

 

Lestallum was hot. The kind of hot that made Prompto want to curl up in front of an air conditioner or spend the night sleeping in an ice bath. Sure Insomnia could get up there in temperature but it pailed in comparison to the scourging hot temperatures of Lestallum where Prompto was sure that his skin was meling off his body. 

The city was settled on a cliff that had a beautiful view of the landscape of Cleigne. He once again longed for the camera that had been haphazardly left at the Amicitia’s manor during their frantic fleeing from the MTs. It’d be a stunning shot of the landscape. 

Soon enough however, he was being tugged along by Iris towards the Leville, her hands shaking at the reality of the past week truly began to set in. Prompto couldn’t say he was completely immune to the realizations that arriving in Lestallum had brought. 

Their home was gone, the Empire now had control of Insomnia and they were nothing short of fugitives in their own country. A bit ahead of them Talcott had an iron grip on his grandfather’s shirt as they took slow steps towards the Leville. Dustin had gone already, swiftly moving by them to secure accommodations for the rag tag group that’d rolled in just before sundown. 

Iris stopped halfway up the steps they were going up and looked at Prompto with big eyes. In the heat of the moment, it was easy to forget that she was just a 15 year old girl who’s home was being invaded. She had wielded that axe with such confidence and finesse that now she looked like a completely different person. All the previous adrenaline and confidence had melted away under the heat of Lestallum and left a scared girl who had lost her father and who’s brother was MIA. 

They didn’t move for a moment. Didn’t speak. No words needed to be said just yet. They just held each other on the steps of Lestallum and let it sink in. 

“Hey,” Prompto said gently after her loud sobs turned to short, shallow breaths and she stopped shaking so much. “It’ll be ok."

“Daddy’s gone,” she sobbed. 

Prompto let out a gentle shushing sound. “I know.”

“I still haven’t heard from Gladdy.”

“How about we try again once we get to the Leville,” Prompto suggested gently, forcing his voice to be level, if only for Iris’ sake. He’d attempted to put up a strong front for her, to support her from the journey from Insomnia to Lestallum. She didn’t need to know that as soon as she had fallen asleep in the car, he’d broken down into uncontrollable sobs, that he’d panicked upon not finding his phone, realizing he had no way to try and contact Ignis or Noctis.

That he’d avoided hearing the news after the announcement that the King and the Prince were both dead. Tried to ignore hearing that his best friend was dead somewhere without even a body to show for it and that if Noctis was dead that meant that more than likely so was Ignis because if there was no way anything would have gotten to him before taking down both him and Gladio. 

Prompto knew Iris thought the same thoughts, although neither said anything about it. 

Soon enough they’d managed to move from their spot in the middle of the crowded steps and eventually settled into their room in the Leville. Iris on the edge of the bed, Prompto sitting next to her. They didn’t move as they both sat, staring at the black phone in Iris’ hands. Her thumb hovered over the green call button next to her brother’s name, hesitating. As if not calling would change what happened. How if he didn’t pick up again, there was a very real chance that he, Noctis and Ignis were already gone. Gladio didn’t just ignore his sister, he never did. Prompto doubted such a fact would change just because Insomnia had fallen. If anything, Prompto was sure that Gladio would be more inclined to drop what he was doing and get to Iris’ side. 

Prompto didn’t doubt that Noctis would rush to her side with him.  _ Would he do the same for me?  _ Prompto had to wonder.  _ Would Ignis come to him, if he knew? _ He had no way of knowing, his phone had been lost with Insomnia. He wasn’t entirely sure if Noctis and Ignis had any idea what became of him, really. If they were even alive out there, they had no way to contact him. He felt guilty at leading them to believe he was dead, even if he had no say in it. 

A breath at his side brought him out of his thoughts as Iris closed her eyes tight and let her thumb drop to the button. 

The room went stiff as it rang close to Iris’ ear. Prompto was sure neither he nor Iris were breathing as the phone rang a second time. A third ring went by and Iris’ lips tightened into a thin line and Prompto thought she was going to break out crying, destroying the deathly still room. 

Mid fourth ring the sound stopped to the sound of the call being answered. 

“Iris?” Gladio’s voice sounded hesitant and slightly fearful as if something would come along and take this hope of his sister still being alive away from him. 

“Gladdy!” she said, ecstatic as her voice cracked. They both let out the harsh breath they had been holding. Gladiolus was alive. Which meant that there was a real chance the other two had gotten through as well.

“Thank the Astrals your alright,” Gladio breathed into the phone. The relief in his voice was clear and palatable and Prompto smiled at her. It must have been a relief for Iris as well, to know her brother was alive and well. 

He held his tongue about asking about Noctis and Ignis. There was a burning need for him to know and an underlying fear of knowing that shackled his tongue from saying anything.

If nothing else, he didn’t want to intrude on the sibling’s moment more than he already had. 

“What about Noct?” Iris asked, her voice as restrained as she could make it. 

“He’s alright,” Gladio said. “Attempting to sleep his problems away.”

“Sounds like him,” Iris giggled a moment at Noctis’ usual antics, even at the darker, underlying reason for Noctis to want to sleep his problems away at the moment. All the more power to him, Prompto supposed, he’s had a rough couple days.  _ And things don’t look like they’re going to get any easier either.  _

“And Ignis?” Iris asked, sparing a glance to Prompto at the question. 

“He’s doing fine too,” Gladio informed them. “Pretty beat up about Prompto, but I don’t blame the guy. He’s hiding it better than Noctis is, at any rate."

“Huh?” Iris said, startled. 

“He’s taking loosing Prom hard,” Gladio said. “I mean we haven’t heard from him so we have to assume the worst.” Finally, Prompto let out the strangled cry that had been building in his throat. 

“Moogle,” Gladio said slowly. “What was that?” 

“Gladdy,” Iris responded, distress peppering her voice. “That was Prompto. He was at the manor with me to watch the signing when it all went to hell. He escaped with us.”

Gladio let out a breath that sounded like relief. “Can I talk to him?” 

Iris silently handed over the phone to him, smiling shakily. 

“Hey Gladio,” Prompto managed to get out. “How’re you holding up?”

“I’m alright,” Gladio said. “Doing better now.” A pause filled the room. “How are you doing, Prompto?”

“Fine,” Prompto quickly said. “Been better.”

“Haven’t we all,” Gladio responded. “Glad to hear your alive and well."

“Right back at you,” Prompto smiled. “Iggy? And Noct? They’re both alright?” 

“Alive,” Gladio confirmed. He’d heard it before but somehow it felt better, more real to hear it from Gladio again. “They’ll be better once they hear your alright.”

“I bet,” Prompto said. “Where- Can I talk to him?” Prompto didn’t know if he was referring to Ignis or Noctis and at this point, he was sure he didn’t really care which one.

Gladio let out a noise that sounded like an ‘uhh’ sound but Prompto couldn’t be sure. “Ignis is out at the store right now, if I can get Princess up you can talk to him though.” 

Prompto shook his head. “No, no,” he denied. “Let him sleep, he needs it. Besides I don’t want to be on the phone all day waiting for him to wake up.” 

Gladio chuckled. “If you say so.” 

“Just let them know I’m ok? And can you tell Iggy I’m waiting for him?” 

“Of course, we’ll be there as soon as we can be,” Gladio placated. “I’m sure both of them will want to talk before that, so tell Moogle to keep her phone on.” 

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Iris said under her breath. Prompto grinned at her. 

“I’ll let you talk to her again now,” Prompto told Gladio. “It, it was good to hear from you.”

“You too kid,” Prompto could hear the phone getting shifted. “Glad your ok kid.”

Prompto handed the phone back to Iris with a smile and got up on shaky legs. He stepped onto the balcony overlooking Lestallum’s streets where locals and tourists alike bustled through they’re day. The sun was bright in the sky, making the sky a lovely bright shade of light blue that seemed to make the world around them slightly lighter even in the face of all the darkness they’d faced in the last couple of days. 

For the first time since he’d left his house that fateful day in Insomnia, Prompto let out a true smile. 


End file.
